SARS-CoV-2 Breakthrough Infections in Health Care Workers: An Italian Retrospective Cohort Study on Characteristics, Clinical Course and Outcomes

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics, clinical course and outcomes of COVID-19 breakthrough infections (BIs) among healthcare workers (HCWs) of an Italian University Hospital. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted on 6111 HCWs, from January 2021 to February 2022. The study population was offered the full vaccination with BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. To allow return to work after BI, the protocol required one negative nasopharyngeal RT-PCR swab followed by a medical examination to assess the HCW’s health status. Laboratory tests, instrumental tests and specialist evaluations were carried out if necessary. Results. The cases of BIs observed numbered 582 (9.7%). The frequency of BIs was significantly higher in females than in males (67% vs. 33%; p = 0.03), and in nurses than in all other professional categories (p = 0.001). A total of 88% of the HCWs affected by BI were still symptomatic after the negative swab. None of the instrumental tests carried out showed any new findings of pathological significance. All cases showed progressive disappearance of symptoms, such that no cases of long COVID and no hospitalization or deaths were recorded. Conclusions. Our results confirm that SARS-CoV-2 infections occur even after a full vaccination course; however, the clinical course is favorable and severe outcomes are reduced.

COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections Among Healthcare Workers in A Tertiary Care Hospital in Coastal Karnataka, India – A Prospective Cohort Study

“…In our study, it was observed that the incidence and severity of COVID-19 was reduced among the fully vaccinated healthcare workers even during rising cases of Delta and Omicron variants in the district and this finding was similar to most of the contemporary and recent studies. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] The Incidence of COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infection among healthcare workers in our study was 7.9% in a year observation period which was similar to a study done by Paris et al with 4.4% over six months, Rahi et al at 8.7% and De Maria et al at 9.7% over one year and 20.2% over 2 years. 17,19,26,27 In studies done by Gurung et al and Bhavya et al, there was a significantly higher incidence of COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections among healthcare workers compared to our study which could be partly explained by increased awareness, better adherence to COVID-19 appropriate behaviour in our study and possibility of highly transmissible variants circulating among the participants of their study.…”

“…[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] The Incidence of COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infection among healthcare workers in our study was 7.9% in a year observation period which was similar to a study done by Paris et al with 4.4% over six months, Rahi et al at 8.7% and De Maria et al at 9.7% over one year and 20.2% over 2 years. 17,19,26,27 In studies done by Gurung et al and Bhavya et al, there was a significantly higher incidence of COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections among healthcare workers compared to our study which could be partly explained by increased awareness, better adherence to COVID-19 appropriate behaviour in our study and possibility of highly transmissible variants circulating among the participants of their study. 16,18 On the contrary, several studies showed a lesser incidence of COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infection among healthcare workers when compared with our study.…”

“…The majority of the healthcare workers with COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections in our study were either asymptomatic or suffered from mild symptoms which is similar to the observations seen in contemporary studies. 15,16,17,18,19,21,23,24,25 Hospitalization and death occurred in only 2 fully vaccinated healthcare workers in our study. Similar observations of reduced hospitalization and fatality were noticed in several studies further strengthening the effectiveness of vaccines in reducing the frequency and severity of infection.…”

Characteristics Associated with COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections after Booster Vaccinations in Healthcare Workers: Insights from the TüSeRe:exact Study

“…Healthcare workers are particularly at risk due to their frequent and close contact with infected patients, resulting in their high representation among COVID-19 cases prior to the availability of vaccines [ 7 ]. Breakthrough infections, referring to cases where vaccinated individuals become infected with SARS-CoV-2, were found to be significantly higher in nurses compared to other professional groups [ 8 ]. Due to waning immunity and the emergence of new variants, it is necessary to implement measures such as continuous screening and testing in healthcare workers.…”

Damage from Carbonated Soft Drinks on Enamel: A Systematic Review

“…On December 12th, 2019, a new coronavirus (SARS-Cov2) emerged in China, sparking a pandemic of acute respiratory syndrome in humans, COVID-19 [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. The COVID-19 pandemic represents a massive impact on human health, causing sudden lifestyle changes, through social distancing and isolation at home, with great social and economic consequences [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Optimizing public health during this pandemic requires not only knowledge from the medical and biological sciences, but also of all human sciences related to lifestyle and social and behavioral studies, including dietary habits and lifestyle [ 15 , 21 ].…”